Conduit connecter



Oct. 11, 1932. R LAUER 1,882,021

CONDUIT CONNECTER Filed Jan. 29, 1931 wm/m Patente'cloct. 11, 1932 yUNITED STATES APA'risN'lh vRUDOLPH i.. LAUER, or rHILADELPHIA,rENNsYLvANiA rcoiinurr CONNECTER' application mea January" 29,711931.seriaiiinfV-172,071;-

a ed nipple and four nuts upon said nipple to engage the opposite sidesof thelwalls of the respectiveboxes. The present device accomplishes thesame result by the use of only one piece, a short tube or nipple, theopposite ends of which are slightly contractible lupon entering the wallaperturesl of the usual junction, switch and outlet boxes, andthereafter are adapted to expandinto locking engagement with the edgeportions ofthe walls surrounding such apertures. j

A further object, still more specifically, is to provide-the tapered endportion of a connecter withv spaced longitudinal cuts, to pro-`videtapering resilient fingers, the larger part of said fingers beingprovided with a circumferential groove of a depth which depends upon theresiliency of the fingers, theV opposite end of said c onnecter'beingprovided with either the saine or different form of means for attachment.to another element, such as the pipe, tube,`sheathing, or hose, asabove referredto. Y j Y j Still another Objectis to provide one form ofconnecter with resilient prongs, which are adapted to automaticallyengage and prevent the withdrawal of a tube, sheathing,

or hose, after the 'same has been inserted into such connecter, saidteeth if desired being more abrupt in one direction than another toprevent withdrawal of the tube, etcl,

Vby rotation. j i f v VVit-h these and other objects in mind, thepresent invention comprises further details of construction andoperation, which' are fully brought out in the following descrip- .tionwhen read'- conjunction with kthe ac- Vcompanyingdrawing in which Figlis a partially. sectional plan viewf of a pair of junction boxesconnected together, and to vwhich are connected Vother elements,by meansof connecters embodying' the improved construction; Fig. 2 is a partelevational, part sectional view of the connecter AOIFFlei* Ashown inthe centerofjFig. l; Fig. l3 is a' transverse sectional view of aconnecter for i Vunitinga flexible sheathing with a junction box or thelike, a fragmentary portion of a piece of such sheathing or hose beingAshown partlyV in section and partly in elevation;

Fig. 4: is an elevational view' of the connecg5 terof Fig; 3 per se; andFig. 5 isan-end Aelevation of .the saine. 'v j j Referring to Figs. -1and 2 of the drawing,

two junction boxes land 2 are shown as coin- --prising in each case arear wall 3 provided with Van aperture'll closed by a so-called yknock-out 5,k and a circumferential wall'G pro- -vided with a pluralityof apertures?, which are originally closed by knock-outs '8, but

from which in the case'of two suchraperi tures the` correspondingknock-outshave 'beenj removed, Yleaving the apertures clear i ofobstruction. The walls 6 may alsobeprovided with any suitable meanssuchas the inturned lugs 9, provided with adjustable screws A10, forsecuring cover plates (not shown) to said boxes.. `These junction boxesrepresent many types of hollow members such -as are used' in electricwiring andsiinilar installations, and represent also outlet boxes,

switch boxes, and vthe1lilie.; Anyfone Aor more of the apertures of theboxes VmayY be opened by removingtherefrom the corresponding one or moreusual manner.

One embodiment ofthe present invention knock-outs in the comprises arelativelyv short section of tubing forming a nipple 11, having a bore12 and reduced end portions 13.` These end portions are tapered upontheir outer surfaces and rounded upon their extremities to preventabrasion of insulatedY wires and the like when being drawn throughsaidbore. Said nip-` ple is alsoprovided with circumferential grooves`14:' which-"surround the larger por- -ifoo bounded upon adjacent sidesby yrelativelyV tions of said tapered end portions and are abrupt'shoulders 15, said tapered portions being provided with preferablylongitudinally extending circumferentially spaced sever- Y ances 16which may be sawed, cast, or otherwise produced in order to provideindependent spaced radially `vyielding fingers 17. It will be noticedthat the grooves 14 from their position as described `'cross thebaseportionsof these fingers;

, In the operation of' this form ofconnecter,

one end portion is inserted into one ofthe apertures 7 and by meansjofablow olf-a hammer or the like upon the other end* ofY n'said nipple, thelatternismdrfiven ,into Vsaid aperture, the leadingY fingers atfirst'contractingand then suddenly expanding as the .edge surroundingtheaperture enters the adjacent groove 14vandV is prevented'tromffurther progress by the abruptness yof the neighboring shoulder1.5. The second junction box or similar, hollow ,member may thereupon beplaced upon the opposite :end .-ofasaidznip- .ple 'as shown in Fig..y 1randattached thereto by striking. the opposite'end of. eitherbox vwithreasui-table tool in. order' to Atorce the rtree end vof thenipple into thesecond inemlbe'r,y ashereinbefore described and; ias shown inthedrawing. j n Y y Reterring to the-lower portiony of Fig. 1, on the lefthand side .isfshown .a connecter ycomprising the fingers 17,A ashereinbetore vdescribed., in cooperation with an aperture `leading intothe junction box 11, while, how- 'even-the opposite end of saidconnecterlconiprises, an internally threaded tube 18 into lwhich mayberemovablysecured the similar- Vlyv threaded end portion of a second tube,

pipe, or the vlike 19,. through which :wires vorthef'like may be drawn,Upon-the oppo- `fsitevor'right hand sidev of Fig. l. anda leadingYthroughxan aperture in the junction box 2 is. aslightly modied form ofconnecter, which in'faddition to the fingers 1.7 comprises a..downwardly extending tube 20, havingia smoothboref21, adapted tovreceive a tube, pipe, or thelike 22, the latter being removably held inoperative` positionY in this instance by actuation ofthe set screw23,"or otherwise as may be desired.

Ret'erringnow to Figs. 3,4 and 5, a modie yfie'dform of connecter isshown as comprising a tubularineinber 24, having a peripheral flange 25,upon one side of which are radially yielding ci-rcumferentiallyr spacedresilient fingers 26, spaced'apart by severances 26aV and crossed upontheir outer surfaceiby a eircuinerential groove27, in which ispositionedthe side Wall 28 of a junction, switch or outlet box'thro'ughwhich extendsV anA aperture 29. The bore 30 of this connecter withinthe'iingers 26merges abruptly intolan enlarged bore Bl'wit'h-in the tube24. to form an annular Ishoulder'32, against which is Vadaptedr to bepositioned the iianged end portion 33 of a iibre bushing or the like 34,a tubular AbodyT portion 35 of which extends into a spirally formedflexible conduit 36, the iiange of said bushing protecting the inner endof said j conduit as the latter abuts indirectly againstV the-shoulderThe opposite sides lof the tubularwall. 24 arefpreferably provided withstaggered inwardly bent prongs 37, which terminate in pointed endportions 38, preferably i'n'ore abrupt'in'one direction than in theother,.injorder not only to positively engage Ywi'thinthe spiral vgroove39 Vof the flexible conduit,.asv-,shownfinI-Fig. l3, but to also pre-SOy binding relation with the-junction or other Y ,boxwall, after whichtherend portiono a flexible conduit ofindefinite length hasjin- `sertedinto it the bushing -35,.following which said conduit isin turn forcedinto-the--tubular portion 24 ofsaid connecter, thefp-rongs 137temporarily yielding outwardly in'vorderito pass over, theV spiralyridges of saidV conduit and, thereafter vmoving resiliently, into.:spaced portions ofthe groove 39,:to` prevent the redescribed.` c

Having thus described-my invention, what vI vclaim and desir-ete protectbyf LettersV Patent of the United Statesis- Y 1. Incombination, an.outlet :boxror the like having an aperture, Va connecter' having atapered end portion insertible through said aperture l:and providedwithcircumferentially spaced longitudinally Iextendiiig-severances providinginterposed inherently expansib-le fingers, said fingershaving anexternal circumferenti algroove labout the same in spaced relation tothe freeen-ds thereof andhavf'mg shoulders defining the sides of thegroove, i

said groove and shoulders beingrigidly-:engageable with the portion Voitthe box surrounding=saidaperture through the .expansive action oat-saidingers ollowingycontraction by passage through the aperturethe connecterthus beingattacliable.:solely of .itself and automatically throughiits;application-1in --saidaperture 2. VA connecter :tor lattachment toanoutlet box or thel likey comprising axtubularbody having-a tapered endportion provided with eircumiferentiajlly spaced longitudinallyextending severan-ces providing interposed inheren-tly Iexpansiblefingers, said fingers having. an external circumferentialgroove about fioo -moval otsaid conduit from said yconnecter as iis nture.

' RUDOLPH L. 'LAUER

